A Taiwanese company has given the iPod a retro spin with a docking station that features an elegant 1940s-style valve amplifier.It’s an unusual marriage of digital high-tech and classic analog technology that has turned heads at the Computex trade show in Taiwan this week.The iPod rests in a silver docking station with a wooden trim, and next to it sits a matching amp with three illuminated glass valves on top. The dock and the amp together measure about 42 centimeters wide and 15 centimeters deep. The system also includes two 50W-per-channel speakers. It all comes in a glossy black, wood or leather finish.The system fits any type of iPod except the Shuffle, according to Natascha Lu, director of A-Zone International, which manufactures the product for sale by other companies. A-Zone already makes more “traditional” iPod stations for vendors including Intempo Digital and Audiovox. iPod Dock [1] The iPod Dock Valve Station just went on sale in Germany for 699 euros (US$895) and is also available in Japan, Lu said. A-Zone expects it to be on sale soon in France and the United Kingdom, and hopes eventually to tackle the U.S. market.The product also comes with a remote control and has an S-Video output that can connect to a TV, so people with a video iPod can watch movies on a big screen. The company expects to complete firmware for the docking station next month that will allow the iPod interface to also appear on the TV, for easier navigation. Valve amps were widely used in the 1940s, but because they were bulky and fragile, they gave way to transistors in the following decades. iPod Dock [2] They’re making something of a comeback, according to A-Zone President Les Cheng, especially among audiophiles who say they produce better-quality sound. At one point, A-Zone had its valve amps custom-made, which was expensive, but it now buys them from a manufacturer in China, Cheng said.At least five companies in Taiwan offer music systems with valve amps, though A-Zone is the only company using them for an iPod docking station, according to Cheng.-James Niccolai, IDG News ServiceRelated Links: Apple, RIM to Team Up for iPod Handheld? Reports: Apple, Softbank Plan iPod Cell Phone Nike, Apple Team Up for iPod ‘Sport Kit’Check out our CIO News Alerts and Tech Informer pages for more updated news coverage. Related content brandpost Who’s paying your data integration tax? Reducing your data integration tax will get you one step closer to value—let’s start today. By Sandrine Ghosh Jun 05, 2023 4 mins Data Management feature 13 essential skills for accelerating digital transformation IT leaders too often find themselves behind on business-critical transformation efforts due to gaps in the technical, leadership, and business skills necessary to execute and drive change. By Stephanie Overby Jun 05, 2023 12 mins Digital Transformation IT Skills tip 3 things CIOs must do now to accurately hit net-zero targets More than a third of the world’s largest companies are making their net-zero targets public, yet nearly all will fail to hit them if they don’t double the pace of emissions reduction by 2030. This puts leading executives, CIOs in particul By Diana Bersohn and Mauricio Bermudez-Neubauer Jun 05, 2023 5 mins CIO Accenture Emerging Technology case study Merck Life Sciences banks on RPA to streamline regulatory compliance Automated bots assisted in compliance, thereby enabling the company to increase revenue and save precious human hours, freeing up staff for higher-level tasks. By Yashvendra Singh Jun 05, 2023 5 mins Digital Transformation Robotic Process Automation Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe